Knockdown variable-unit cabinet



Oct. l, 1929. D. w. BuTz Er AL 1,729,865

KNOCKDOWN VARIABLE UNIT CABINET Filed March 1, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 ,nuwww m nu u VM m Nm WrM m a n .u mw I u Sv QN Qm\ Tm, .v T nwl` l Agur@will h @EN I@ MEI m will Q s: I4 f L m L d gn m, W Q mmm l! l ,I l l lIl |11 TIIL H F Oct. l, 1929.

D. w. BUTZ E'r AL xNocxnowN VARIABLE UNIT CABINET 'Filed March 1, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS, a 55m'. nf. .B1/rz.

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ATTORNEYS.

E @El Patented Oct. 1, 1929 :UNITED STATES PAT-Eur OFFICE DELBERT W.'BUTZ AND MOTT IVI. UIT'IS, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA- KNOCKDOWN"lVARIABILIE-UNIT CABINET Application ledvMarch 1,

variable unit cabinet.

One object of this invention is to construct a. cabinet of a pluralityof units'so associated together in abuttable or spaced relation, or inabuttable and spaced'relation asrequired, and suitably secured togetherso that the. entire construction, when assembled, will not only give theappearance of being but substantially is a custom built unitary cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to construct the cabinet of aplurality of units each of which is of knock-down construction so thateach unit may be collapsed into knockdown arrangement and individuallypackaged for shipment or storage, or both.

One feature of the invention consists in the construction of a minimumnumber of cabinet units of different types .and sizes and unitconnecting members in the form of mullions, tops and bottoms permittingthe judicious selection of theunits both as to number and type required,to which may be added in certain instances, a splash board, theindividual splash board, bottom or toe-board and top each being of alength sulicient to cover, align or unite all of thev units selectedinto an entirety as a custom built cabinet.

Another feature ofthe invention consists in the construction of ,eachoffthe several units and also the ends. and the connect-ions between theunits, or unit and end in knockdown arrangement, whereby the severalparts can be collapsed for individual packaging and subsequent shipmentor storage, whereby unit assembling can only be secured through pre1926. Sera1No.91,499.

number is six, of which three are of the same type but differ only inwidth. n

The foregoing inventionpermits; the dealer, jobber or contractorto carryon display but six units which can be arranged as desired.v Theparticular problem can be solvedby the i judicious selection of theseveralunits or by' f multiplications of units. In each construction'the toe-board, top, and it desired', the splash board, is of the desiredover-'all length 6o for uniting and connecting the unitized cabi-l netunits. v

The full nature of the invention will be. understood from theaccompanying drawn ings and the following description and claims: In thedrawings Fig. l is a top plan view of a cabinet including a splashboard, said cabinet extending entirely along one wall of a room andvbeing included between two Side walls thereof. Fig. 2 -is a frontelevation thereof.y Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one ofthe drawerunits `and of the small width single tier type. Fig.- 4 is a frontelevation of one of the cabinet units and 0f the small 75 width singledoor type. Fig -is a side elevation of any one of the units. Fig. 6 isay perspective view of an` end panel. Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe mullion or vertical unit connectingmember. ,Fig 8 is a front a0 viewof a multiple drawer cabinet unit. Fig.- 9 is al perspective View of theintermediate` portion of the toe-board construction, partsy being brokenaway. Fig. l0 is a front elevational view of a multiple door cabinetunit. Fig. ll is a top plan view of a cabinet positioned inthe end ot' aroom and herein the right-hand end or corner thereof. Fig. l2 is anenlarged transverse or horizontal section of the cabinet shown in Fig.11, parts be'- 90y ing broken away to illustrate the knock-downconstruction and arrangement. Fig. 13 is a, front to rear verticalsectional viewthrough the bottom of any of the cabinet units whenmounted in cabinet formation and is taken on line 13--13 of Fig. l2 andin thedirection of the arrows. Fig. 14. is aperspective view of thecorner mullion or end panel and unit; connecting member. Fig. 15 is atransverse Seo.` tional View of a drawer slide mountingv and is,

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lend themselves to multiplication and ad-y justment so that they can besecured in cabinet formation by the addition of but a few simple partswhich permit quantity production of but a minimum number of standardparts and the use of but a minimum number' of variable parts for anyinstallation or formation of a cabinet for a particular position orarrangement. vThe foregoing permits the.

201 combination of various widths of units with variable allowablespreads between each to form practically any desired type of cabinetranging in width from a minimum of approximately eighteen inches to anunlimited number of feet or fractions thereof, the variations in widthbeing any difference therebetween as will be more apparent from thesubsequent description. In addition to the foregoing, each of the unitsis of knock-down construction, whereby each unit can be packagedindividually and shipped fiat, thereby reducing storage andtransportation space andexpense to aminimum. The knockdown arrangementis of such character that f parts of each unit can only be assembled ina predetermined way.

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the knock-downconstruction o'fV each unit and the details of the connection be- 405tween the .several units when assembled in unit formation, two typicalcabinets will be described and the units comprising the same.

In Figs. -1 and 2, 10 indicates a back wall and 11 the side wall ofaroom. A top 12 and a toe-boardconstruction 13, and herein a splashboard 14 are co-extensive with the back wall and extend from one sidewall to the other. The foregoing are the only portions of the entireconstruction which yare not sectionalized or unitized and these aregenerally furnished in such lengths that they may bereadily cut tolength without much wastage. As the window or other conformation of theroom Idetermines the position ofthe sink, indicated generally by thenumeral 15 in Fig. 2, said sink posit-ion permits the carpenterinstalling the cabinet to cut the `opening indicated by the numeral 16,in the top to receive the sink 15. This may bcdone before or after thetop has been mounted, but it will be understood that each opening '16 inthe top 12 conforms to each specific cabinet installation when a sink isemployed. There are practically as many uses, orymore, for the cabinetconstruction where a .sink is not employed, and in these instances theopening 16 will not be cut in the top.

In Figs. 1 and 2 but three dierent units are shown. Herein a single tierof drawers unit is indicated generally by the numeral 17, the multipletier of drawers unit divided by a partition and including a bread andmeat board, is indicated by the numeral 18 and the double door units areindicated by the numeral 19.

Fig. 3 illustrates the single tier of drawers unit 17. Fig. 8illustrates the double tier of drawers unit 18, and Fig. 10 illustratesthe double door unit 19. 2O indicates generally the single door unitshown in Fig. 4. It will be understood that sinks vary in arrangement.Thus, the type of sink shown in Fig. 11 contains a bowl portion smallerthan that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but also inchicles a drain boardportion. Thus, the opening 116 required for the sink of the type shownin Fig. 11 and indicated bythe numeral 115 therein, is larger than thatshown in Fig. 1. Also smaller sinks may be utilized. Therefore, cabinetsindicated by the numeral 19 in the Yseveral figures and particularlyillustrated in Fig. 10, are preferably made of three sizes, each havingthe saine depth from front to rear and the same height but Varying inwidth. Door panels, therefore, vary according to the size of the units.`The doors are so arranged that complete access may be had to theplumbing con` necting with the sink. Shelving may also be provided ifdesired.

In Fig. 3 the unit comprises the two sides, the front and a plurality ofsuperposed drawers. In Fig. 4 the unit comprises a compartment closed bya single door. In Fig. 8 -the unit 18 comprises a plurality of tiers ofsuperposed drawers and in addition includes a bread or meat board 118.illustrates the left side of any unit 40, having the top edge or face41, the back edge or face 42, the front edge or face 43, the bottom edgeor 'face 44 and a notched or cut out arrangement 45 and 46. The endpanel 3() (see Fig. 6) when required such as in the installation shownin Fig. 11, has a lower corner cut out as at and 36, the top edge 31,the back edge 32, front edge 33 and bottom edge 34. The corner cut out35--36 is of less size than the corner cut out -46 formed in each unit40. A mullion or spacer strip 37 is shown in Fig. 7 and this is of astandard width, that is has a spread of live inches. It will beunderstood that but a single Width of spacer, mullion, or connector 37is furnished and the carpenter or assembler of the cabinet can cut thismember to the desired width, the length being constant, and thethickness being constant, the width being determined by the amount ofspread or spacing to be employed between the sev-I Fig. 5.

eral units i-n order to take up the total space allotted to` thelcabinet.

As shown in F igsf.. 1, 2, 11 and 12 the bottom construction 13-113extendsv throughout oris coextensive with the length of the cabinet andthe particular construction of the same includes the riser 13 andlateral 133", seer Fig. 9, the same showing the toevboard or base inperspective. n

- Fig. 11 shows a. cabinet positioned in the right-hand corner of theroom, and t-herefore, provided with an end panel 30. This 'cabinet isso'v arranged that the sink including the drain board isv at the extremeright end and, therefore, a double door unit 19' is employed at thisend. For kitchen purposes the unit 18 8) is preferred and herein isshown positioned immediately adjacent the sinkv enclosing unit 19.Adjacent thereto in. order to complete the cabinet and occupy' thealloted space is a smaller' unit which herein is shown as a single doorunit' 20. The cabinet consists of units 18, 19 and 20, with unit 18positioned in the middle, panel l at the exposed end, top 12. andtoe-board 13-113.

Fig.. 12 an enlarged llongitudinal sectional view of the left-handportion. of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1l and is taken in a planeparallel to the top. Each unit hasI a backV which extends from. the top12 to and rests upon the floor'. Each side 40, except for the notchedcorner, see Fig. 5, eX- telrds from the top 12` to and restsv upon thefloor.. Back. 5() is provided with an upper cleat not shown and aparallel'cleat 51, the top of which liesf in the same horizontal planeasl the top4 of the toe-board 13-113, although itmay lie in anotherplane as side 4()` has a similar cleat 47, see Fig. 17, that is, one`which lies in` the same plane as cleat 51 toL vertical and parallelcleat 53. The op,- posite edges of the back 50 including vertical cleats53 vform grooves with the upper v(not shown) and lower cleats 51 toreceive Athe edges 42 of the sides 40 which are thus seated, andmaintained in parallel position at thetop andk bottom at the rear ofeach unit (see Fig. 12).`

The fron-t of the cabinet; unit includes a rectangular framework, theupperv portion of which supports a transverse cleat not shownT but whichis parallel to the bottom rail 57 of the front 56. The front carries, inslightly offset relation tov the outer and lateral edges, the verticalcleats 54 which form a groove including therebetween the front top cleatnot shown. Each' side 40 carriers. a cleat at itsl outer edge that abutsthe front and is seatable with said side in the groove previouslydescribed. This cleat uponthe outer edge of the side also abuts the topcleat of theback.

The resultant construction, therefore, is a true rectangular compartmentor open vsions 58 of adjacent units.

tion the bottom 52 lies flush with the bottomv r-ail 57 of the front(see Fig. 12)'. The foregoing, therefore, constitutes one of the unitsin assembledv relation, the topy being open and the bottom being closed.The two screws or securing means near the ends of the cleats 54 aresunicient to anchor the front edge of a side to the front and two screwsor the like at the ends of the cleats 53 are sufficient to anchor therear edge of the side to the back. The bottoml thus maintains the unitwhen in assembled relation, in true rectangular form and prevents itscollapse. It. will be readily apparent that'with the foregoingconstruction each unit can be assembled and disassembled and whenv inthe latter condition, the back, front, two sides and bottom can bepositioned in parallel and superposed relation and cartoned for shipmentor storage in the ilat or knock-down condition. I

The front 56 has lateralor side extensions 58v which are verticallygrooved as at 59; The mullion or connecting strip 37 is receivable bytwo adjacent groovesy 59. in adjacent but oppositely positioned lateraleXten- The front, including the lateral extensions 58 and the bot-tompiece 57 is cut out as at 60 and'thus the angular toe-board 13-113 yhasits front edge covered by the front of each unit.v The front edge of thetoe-board, however, is. eX-

posedwhenever the two adjacent me1nbers158 are not inabuttable'lrelation as shown `to the right of Fig. 12, the spacedrelation being shown to the left of F i-g.v 12. v Vhen in abuttablerelation, the front edge of the toe- 'board construction is entirelyvcovered or non-exposed and member 37 v suitably reduced in width to bereceivable by the adj acent grooves 59,v serves solely as a spline anddoes not serve as a mullion. The end panel 30-has its lateral edge 32terminating short of the back of the unit. The end panel k30 has itsfront edge 33 terminating adjacent the extension 58. The side of thepanel is adapted to abut the vertical cleats 53 and y54. v

An angular cornice or ornamental member has a main body portion 137 anda tongue portion 38. Tongue portion 38 is either receivable by the slotor groove 59 or over-lies the end 32 of theend panel and abuts the back:.505 forming an ornamental corner. The two screws associated wit-h eachcornice near the upper and lower ends thereof are adapted to secure thecornice andend panel to the adjacent unit side. in completed relation.The

cornice pieces are furnished in two lengths, therear cornice piece beingof the height of the unit, that is, extending from the floor to the topand the front cornice piece (having the portion seat-able in the groove59) exten ding from the top to the lower level of the lateral portion113 of the toe-board. The units, however, may be supplied in equallengths and generally only two will be required, although if the cabinetis of the isolated type, that is has two exposed ends, four of thecornice members are supplied and two similarl end panels aresupplied.The end panels, of course, are reversible, that is, they will serveequally well for the left-hand end as for the right-hand end.

It is to be understood that all of the parts are drilled in jigs and thenecessary number of securing screws, nails or the like are supplied witheach unit so that the assembling is reduced to a minimum and is of acharacter that prevents any assembling arrangement other than thenecessary one to form the unit.

',FJach drawer vunit side 40 carries the drawer slide or cleat 61. Thisis shown clearly in Fig. 15. When shelving is required, the door unitside 40 would be provided with the cleat 61 and the shelving would besupplied as additions and in the number desired. In a tandem drawer unitthere is provided a partition 62 which upon opposite sides supports thedrawer slide members 63 which are cut out as at 64 to form a drawerslide supporting surface. The front of a unit of the aforesaid typeincludes a vertical member 65 with an inwardly extending cleat portion66. The partition 62 is adapted to be slidably receivable betweenanother cleat 166 on the back 50 and the inner face of the cleat 66.Lateral displacement of the partition 62 is prevented by the forward andrearward extensions 67 and 16"? of the drawer slide members 63 beyondthe cleats 66 and 166 as shown clearly in Fig. 12. The rear cleat 166 onthe member 50 may be suitably recessed to receive the bottom 52.

Drawers have. heretofore been made and shipped knock-down and thereforeare not illustratedA herein. The doors are flat panels with thenecessary hardware attached thereto, or the necessary hardware issupplied in detached relation and the doors are drilled or otherwiseformed to receive said hardware.

With the foregoing construction several different types of units mayeach be formed in the knock-down and packaged for storage or shipment insuch formation and thereafter readily assembled to form the compartmentwhich is entirely unitized except for the cover.

From the foregoing description and the drawings it will be noted that itis impossible to assemble any unit in any other way than in thepredeterminedproper arrangement. Confusion between lparts will beentirely eliminated if each individual package containing a completeunit is opened and assembled before opening any other package. It willbe also noted that each unit when in disassembled relation is acompletely closed construction except for the top and therefore a rathole in any one unitwill not give access to the other units but only tothat one containing the hole.

Figs. 1 and 1l show the several cabinet units secured together in spacedor spread joint relation and butt joint relation, said connections beingsecured by the splining or mullion strips 37 retained in positionagainst upward displacement by the tops and against downwarddisplacement in the grooves 59 by resting upon the toe-boardconstruction. The units are secured in spaced relation by the toe-boardconstruction being secured preferably to the front exposed edges 46 ofeach of the sides 40. lVhen thus secured each unit is definitelypositioned with respect to the other units also secured to thetoe-board. The common top also serves to secure all of the unitstogether and serves to close the same formingindividual completelyclosed compartments with the result that the unitized cabinet, althoughformed from separable standard units, resembles very closely andapproximates the custom built cabinet.

The foregoing invention reduces the erection of the cabinet to `aminimum and by the use of but six standardized units, one end panel, onemullion or spline member and one cornice, the variable mill work `isreduced to the minimum. The only variables are adjusting the width ofthe mullion to the desired spread or space, cutting the length of thetop, splash and `toe boards to the desired length of the entire cabinetand reducing one or two of the standard cornice members to thesub-standard length described providing the two cornice members -are notof dissimilar length.

The foregoing arrangement permits the mill work in cabinet units andother parts of the invention specified to be performed during the slackseasons, thereby further reducing the lowered cost made possible by thequantity production of a small number of different standardcabinetunits. The cabinet constructions possible with the foregoinginvention are suitable for the kitchen, bath rooms, barber shops, salesrooms and in general wherever custom built cabinet work of the characterherein generally disclosed is required.

The foregoing invention has the additional advantage that itl is not afixture and can be readily disassembled and removed to a new locationand reassembled in the same or a dierent relation as required by the newlocation, the only difference being that if the top has been cut for asink a new top may be required and generally will be required. Theresult, therefore, is a portable construction which resembles thebuilt-in or fixture construction in all of its advantages and withlittle or none of its disadvantages.

The invention claimed is:

1. A knockdown cabinet unit including a front frame member having sideedges, ver-` tical cleat means at each side edge thereof forming agroove therebetween, a back member having side edges, vertical cleatmeans on each side edge thereof, lateral means on said back memberterminating adjacent each vertical cleat means on the back member andforming grooves therewith, and a pair of side members, each having itsfront and rear edges detachably received by said grooves.

2. A device of the character defined by claim 1, characterized by theaddition of a bottom member peripherally enclosed by the side, back andfront members for maintaining said members in quadrilateral relation andsupported thereby.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

. DELBERT W. BUTZ.

MOTT M. UITTS.

